Varanasi: Varanasi’s performance in the Swachh Vayu Survekshan has continued to decline, with the city ranking 34th among cities with a population of more than 10 lakh in the 2026 assessment released by the Central Pollution Control Board on Monday.The city secured 150 marks, a steep fall from its third-place national ranking three years ago, when it scored 191 marks.The slide has raised concerns over the effectiveness of pollution-control efforts despite major budgetary allocations and monitoring infrastructure. Under the Smart City project, around 50 ambient air monitoring devices have been installed across Varanasi to track pollutants such as PM2.5 and PM10 in real time. The sensors are intended to identify pollution hotspots and support timely corrective action.Municipal officials said ongoing construction, road dust and rising traffic pressure continue to pose major challenges to improving air quality. They said the municipal corporation has been taking measures to curb dust pollution, including spraying roads with water through multi-function sprinklers and anti-smog guns. Treated water from sewage treatment plants is being used for this purpose. Plans are also in place to install water fountains at major intersections.The municipal corporation said footpaths and road shoulders are being paved to prevent roadside dust from becoming airborne. Interlocking tiles are being laid, while pavements that allow grass to grow between them are also being developed. Efforts are underway to increase greenery in vacant spaces and gardens. Patchwork and blacktopping of damaged roads are being prioritised to reduce dust generated by vehicles passing over potholes.Varanasi’s 2026 performance is its worst in the past three years in the category of cities with populations above 10 lakh. The city had ranked third nationally in 2023 with 191 marks and received the National Clean Air City award. It slipped to ninth place in 2024 with 176.5 marks and stood 11th in 2025 with 184 marks. This year, its score dropped to 150 and its rank fell to 34th.Several other cities in Uttar Pradesh performed significantly better. Lucknow topped the national rankings with 198 marks, while Agra ranked fourth, Ghaziabad ninth, Kanpur 11th, Prayagraj 13th and Meerut 22nd.
